Moments
by AllyLobster
Summary: Snapshots into the lives of Rick and Kate and their growing family. Please read and review.
1. Safe

**I got another idea, guys! I actually have a list of about 3 or 4 to write, so here's the first one.**

* * *

Kate sighed as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Rick was asleep beside her, or at least she figured he was because of his snoring, but Kate couldn't fall asleep. Another crash of thunder was followed by a flash of lightning, and Kate savored the harsh noise and brilliant light they caused. She loved storms, loved the sharp crack of thunder as it echoed through their house. She loved how the lightning flashed through the sky and lit up the surrounding area in a single bright second. And she loved how it reminded her of her and Rick's first night together.

Another crack of thunder sounded, and Kate felt a smile cross her face. She slipped out from under Rick's arm and out of the bed. She adjusted her shorts and t-shirt before she stepped out of their bedroom and into the living room to the large window that took up one wall. She sat on the window seat and looked out at the city she loved so much.

As she watched the rain falling, she allowed her mind to wander, back to the storm that had caused her and Rick to start down the path that had led them here. She was just about to relive the bedroom activities from the night when she heard pounding feet on the stairs. Kate whipped her head around and saw Bex hurrying down the stairs clutching her stuffed moose.

"Bex." Kate called softly to her daughter.

Bex stopeed and looked around in fear before her eyes landed on her mother. Instantly, the three-year-old was running toward her mother. Kate held her arms out and Bex crashed into them just as another crash of thunder hit, and Kate didn't miss the whimper that exited her daughter's mouth.

Kate pulled her daughter into her lap and situated her so that she was also looking out the window. "What's wrong, Bex? Did the thunder scare you?"

"Not me. Mr. Moose."

Kate laughed and kissed her daughter's head. "It's ok to be scared, Bex."

"But you're not." Bex said quietly.

"No, not anymore. I used to be, though."

"Really?"

"Of course. I was about your age and we got a massive thunderstorm."

"Is that what this is?" Bex asked as she peered out the window cautiously.

"No, this is a good old fashioned rain storm. A thunderstorm is just that really loud noise over and over."

"I wouldn't like that."

Kate smiled and kissed her daughter's tear-stained cheek. "I didn't either. I ran to my parents' room, but their bed was empty. They'd been out on a date that night, and I'd forgotten. The babysitter was still on the couch sleeping, and I didn't want her to think I was a baby, so I climbed into my parents' bed to wait for them. They got home a little later, and by that point I thought something had happened to them and they were never coming home. So when my mom walked in, I was crying on their bed. She picked me up and carried me to the window and showed me how to tell if the storm was moving away from us or closer to us. It worked and I stopped crying after a few minutes. Every storm after that she did the same thing until I wasn't afraid anymore. Now I love storms because they remind me of my mom."

"Will you show me, Mumma?" Bex asked.

"Of course, baby girl. When the next lightning flashes, we're going to start counting, ok?"

Bex nodded, and when the next flash happened, Kate helped her count until they heard another hit of thunder.

"Alright, we go up to 7, Bex."

"What's that mean?"

"It means the storm is 7 miles away."

Bex nodded, and they repeated the counting process when another flash occurred.

"We got to 9 that time, Mumma."

"That means the storm is 9 miles away."

"So it's leaving?"

Kate smiled and nodded to her daughter. "It is."

The two of them sat together for a few more moments before Kate could tell Bex was falling asleep.

"Come on, Bex. Back to bed."

"Can I stay with you and Daddy?" Bex asked softly.

Kate sighed. "Alright, but only because of the thunder."

Bex nodded sleepily, and Kate carefully stood and carried her daughter and her moose back to the master bedroom. She set Bex on her side of the bed and watched as she crawled over and moved Rick's arms so she could slip underneath it. Kate shook her head and climbed in behind her and scooted over so they were all touching.

"Kate?" Rick murmured groggily.

"Shh, Rick. Go back to sleep."

"Bex-"

"Shh. Mumma said sleep, Daddy." Bex said as she snuggled closer to her father.

Rick chuckled. "Alright."

Kate watched as her husband and daughter fell asleep. Bex still twitched with each clap of thunder, but it was getting progressively smaller each time. When the storm finally ended, Kate brought her hand to lay on top of Rick's and she twined their fingers together before she too fell asleep.

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**Boom. There you go. If the little trick seemed weird, please don't hate me. My kindergarten teacher taught my class that, but I never really needed it, because let's face it, Phoenix doesn't really get massive storms aside from about 3 weeks out of the year. And by that point, everyone is too excited to be scared. Because water falling from the sky? Yeah, that's just weird.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	2. Names

**So I'm turning this into a series of related one shots. They might not be in chronological order, but hopefully it won't be too confusing.**

* * *

As Kate looked up at the screen, her hand moved around to find Rick's. When she brushed her fingers against his, she shifted her hand to twine with his and gave it a squeeze as the doctor moved the wand around so the pictures on the screen shifted.

"Ah, there we go. Alright, you two ready to know what you're having?"

Kate couldn't form words through her excitement so she just nodded.

"Alright, and you both know that since your twins are identical, whatever gender this one is, the other is as well."

Kate sighed and nodded. She really didn't want to put up with this right now. Her doctor was great, but she liked drawing things out.

"Ok, sorry. Anyway, congratulations, you two. You're having two little girls."

Kate's smile seemed to explode across her face and a glance over at Rick confirmed that he was doing the same. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. The doctor cleaned off Kate's stomach and left the two of them alone for a moment before they left.

"Girls, Kate." Rick murmured.

"I know, Rick." Kate said with a smile. "You don't mind, do you? I know you would have liked to have boys."

"Of course I don't mind. I love having daughters."

Kate nodded and took his hand as they left the room and the building. When they got into the car, Kate couldn't help herself. She snapped a picture of the ultrasound and sent it to her father with the caption 'Are you ready for more granddaughters?'

Less than a minute later, her phone was ringing with a picture of her father on the screen. Kate laughed as she swiped her finger across the screen and held it up to her ear.

"Hi, Dad."

"Katie, what am I going to do with you?"

"What do you mean, Dad?"

"You keep sending me pictures like that while I'm working and I might just get fired."

"Sorry dad. I just thought you'd want to know."

Jim laughed. "Well, I'm happy for you two. How's Rick doing?"

"He's great."

"Good. Well, I have to get back to work, but I assume you're inviting me over when you tell everyone else?"

Kate laughed. "Yeah. Is Saturday night ok?"

"Perfect."

"Ok. I'll see you then. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Katie."

Kate smiled as she hung up. "We're having everyone else over Saturday night for dinner."

Rick chuckled. "Alright."

They pulled up in front of their house and after Rick helped her out of the front seat, they went inside and were instantly greeted by Bex running up to them.

"Am I getting boys or girls?"

Kate laughed As she bent slightly to hug her daughter.

"Your getting two little sisters, Bex." Rick said and smiled when Bex's face lit up.

"Good!"

Kate laughed again as her daughter pulled her to the living room to tell her all about her day with Alexis while Rick started dinner. When it was ready, they opted to eat in the living room rather than moving to the kitchen or dining room. When they were finished Rick started cleaning up while Kate turned to Bex.

"You want to shower by yourself tonight? Or are you gonna need a little help?"

"I wanna try." Bex said, and it made Kate smile. Her little girl was definitely independent.

"Ok. But we'll leave the door open so you can yell if you need help, ok?"

Bex nodded and went to her room to pick out her pajamas while Kate went into the bathroom and got the water ready. When her daughter entered, Kate made sure everything was where Bex would be able to get at it and after a kiss to her head, she left her daughter to shower.

When she returned downstairs, Rick was sitting not he couch with a game playing on the TV, but he wasn't really paying attention.

"Hey." Kate murmured as she lowered herself beside him.

"Hey." He said with a kiss to her cheek.

Kate snuggled into his chest and he pulled her even closer, despite the large bulge that her abdomen had turned into months ago.

"We need to name them now." Rick said after a moment of quiet.

Kate laughed. "Rick, we just found out they're girls today. We have a little time."

"Come on, Kate. You know everyone's going to want to know what names we picked."

Kate huffed and was about to answer when they heard bed pad into the living room. Instead, she chuckled when she caught sight of her daughter.

"What?" Bex asked.

"Sweetie." Kate said as she shook her head. "How much time did you spend rinsing your hair?"

Bex just shrugged and ran her fingers over her hair, only to pull them away covered in a few suds. She looked from her fingers to her parents and smiled sheepishly.

Kate turned to her husband and nudged him toward their daughter.

"Go with Daddy, Bex. Then I'll braid your hair, ok?"

Bex nodded and grabbed her father's hand and followed him into the kitchen where Kate could she him bend to lift her onto the counter. Rick got Bex to lay down with her head over the sink and her hair hanging down into the basin.

He pulled the extendable spout from the sink and turned it on. After he let the water heat up a little, he raised it above Bex's head and let the water rinse the left over suds from her hair. When he was done, he shut off the water, but kept Bex lying down.

"Kate?" He called.

Instantly, his wife was by his side with a towel in her hands and a smile on her face.

"Thanks." Rick said with a smile as he took the towel from Kate and used it to squeeze the excess water from Bex's hair. When he's done, Rick lifts Bex off the counter and sets heron the floor. Kate grabs her hand and led her back to the living room where Bex sits on the floor and Kate shifts behind her. Without having to say a word to her daughter, Bex hands Kate her brush and Kate smiles as she starts brushing her daughter's hair.

When she's done with Bex's hair, she has two perfect french braids.

"Thanks." Bex says with a smile as she stands and scampers off to where her dad is dishing up ice cream.

* * *

"Ok, guys. Rick and I have an announcement." Kate said that Saturday night.

"Stop stalling, Kate, and just tell us what they are." Espo calls down the table.

Kate cracks a grin and rolls her eyes. "Fine. We're having girls."

There's some cheers and a smattering of congrats from everyone gathered.

"Do you have names picked out yet?" Ryan asked.

"Honestly, Kevin. Give them a moment." Jenny scolded.

Kate felt something tugging at her leg, and when she looked down, she smiled at Kevin and Jenny's daughter. "Do you have names, Aunt Kate?"

Kate nodded. "We do, Lizzie. Do you want to know what they are?"

Lizzie considered for a moment. "Does Bex know?"

"She does. We told her last night."

"Ok, then."

Kate smiled as she led the little girl into the living room so they could sit on the couch together. She was vaguely aware of the rest of their friends following them, but she pretended they didn't exist. She sat down and motioned for the little girl to sit next to her. Before Kate said anything, she felt the couch shift and she looked over to see he daughter sitting on her other side.

She took each of the little girls' hands in her own and brought them to rest on the left side of her stomach. "This is Annabelle Grace." Kate said with a smile and held their hands there for a moment and let them feel the baby move around.

"And this," Kate says as she moves her hands over.

"Is Maggie Jo!" Bex exclaims excitedly. "I helped them pick it out." Bex said proudly to her best friend.

"Maggie Jo?" Martha asks with an odd tone to her voice.

Kate laughed. "Margaret Josephine." Kate clarified and she didn't miss the way Martha relaxed. "Bex just likes saying Maggie Jo."

"So you ended up picking old fashioned names after all." Esposito teased.

Kate laughed. "I did. I got over my hang ups, and I think they'll fit."

Her friends look at her with smiles on their faces and Kate suddenly feels the urge to cry. Stupid hormones.

After the excitement of baby names, things start to wind down. Before long, Lizzie is well on her way to falling asleep and Bex looks like she'll follow soon after. As soon as the parents notice that the kids are close to falling asleep, it's almost a rush of getting out of their house and back to their own. Within the hour all their guests were gone and they were tucking Bex in for the night.

When Kate and Rick got back to their bedroom, they fell into bed with barely a thought to changing.

"No more dinner parties." Kate mumbled into her pillow. "'S too tiring."

Rick chuckled and rolled over to wrap his arms around her.

"Noooo." Kate whined. "Too hot."

Rick chuckled and started tugging at her pants.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she peeked one of her eyes open.

"You're hot. I'm helping."

Kate opens her mouth to respond, but when he doesn't try anything else, she lets it go. It actually helps, and she feels much cooler. She shifts closer to him when he returns from the bathroom in just a pair of boxers. Rick smiles and pulls Kate as close to his body as possible with the bump between them. Rick presses a kiss to Kate's head as they both drifted toward sleep.

"Thank you, Rick. For everything."

Rick smiled into her hair. "Always."

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**Another chapter, done! Hope you guys liked it.  
If they're anything you guys would like to see with this story arc, let me know and I'll do my best.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	3. Nicknames- Rebecca

**So this idea is actually going to be three chapters. But I figured you wouldn't mind.**

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Rebecca: There aren't many people who call her Rebecca, not when she's not in trouble anyway. One person she can always count on to remind her what her name actually is is her grandmother.

"Rebecca, dear, can you come help me?" Martha calls out to her 8 year-old granddaughter.

"Sure, Gram." She replies, leaving her math homework sitting on the kitchen table for a minute as she walks into the living room to see what her grandmother needs.

She stops when she walks in and can't help the smile on her face. Both her little sisters are laying on their grandmother, their eyes closed and breathing even.

"What do you need, Gram?"

"I'd like to use the restroom. But your sisters are making it difficult."

Bex laughs and walks around the couch. She carefully lifts first one sister and then the other off their grandmother so she can get up. After Martha's gone, Bex lays her sisters back down on the couch and lets them continue sleeping. After they're situated, Bex returns to her homework and gets back to work.

"Rebecca, darling." Martha says, and Bex laughs and shakes her head, something she gets straight from her mother.

"Yes, Gram."

"Come be a darling and help me get dinner ready before your parents get home."

Bex laughs softly to herself and puts her pencil down again. She should have known better than to try doing homework while her grandmother was in charge. And she likes having her mother help her any way."

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Becca: There's even fewer people who call her Becca. One actually, and that's only because she hates when anyone else does. Her grandfather will always be the only person who can call her Becca.

"Grandpa, are we going fishing?" Bex calls through the cabin. Like most 8-year-olds, Bex is impatient and her grandfather is moving too slowly for her. It's just the two of them for the weekend, the twins and their parents had chosen to go to the Hamptons, but Bex wanted to spend time with her grandfather, so she'd begged and pleaded with her parents until they'd agreed.

"I'm coming, Becca." Jim said as he came into the room with two fishing poles. "But I'm not as quick as you are."

Bex laughed and held the door open for him and followed him out. Together, they walked to the end of the dock and Jim set the fishing supplies in his boat before he turned to his granddaughter and helped her into the boat before he climbed in behind her. When they were settled, Jim rowed out into the middle of the water and after they got to their destination, he set up their fishing poles and handed Bex hers.

They sat in silence for a while before Jim finally spoke.

"So, Becca, why did you want to come out here? Not that I mind of course."

Bex sighed. "I just missed you. I haven't really seen you around much, and it makes me sad. And when we do spend time with you, you always look at us like we make you sad."

Jim sighed and set his gear down. He tugged Bex's from her hand and turned to face her. "Look, Becca."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Jim chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "You didn't. And you're right. Sometimes I do get sad when I look at the three of you. I even get mad when I see your mom sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because the four of you remind me so much of my Johannah."

"Grandma?" Bex asked in wonder. They didn't really talk about her much, mainly because all three of them were afraid to ask.

Jim nodded. "She was feisty, just like you. And she was sweet, like Annie, and she could be hyper like Maggie Jo. And Katie, your mom, she's all of that." Jim sighed. "I try not to miss her, but sometimes I look at all of you, and I just see her."

Bex smiled up at her grandfather. "I think I would have liked her very much."

Jim laughs. "You would, Becca. You two would be nearly inseparable."

And just like that, the mood shifted to something happier and they got back to fishing.

* * *

Bex: It was so uniquely her, mixed with just a touch of her mother. Out of all the names people had for her, it fit her the best.

"Bex, come on!" Rick called up the stairs to his oldest daughter.

"I'm coming! Just give me a minute, will you?!" She hollered back.

Rick was about to tell her off for her tone when Kate's fingers brushed across the back of his neck. "Let it be." She murmured. "She'll be down when she's done, and there's nothing you can do to speed her up."

Rick sighed and nodded. When Bex finally did show her face, Rick was taken aback at how grown up his 10-year-old looked.

"What are you wearing?" He asked, and immediately regretted it when one of her eyebrows rose.

"Clothes." Bex replied, deadpan.

"Bex." Rick said in a warning tone.

"Rick, what are you saying to her?" Kate asked as she entered the room.

"Do you see what she's wearing?" Rick asked.

"I do. You look lovely, sweetie." Kate said as she kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Kate." Rick satrted.

"Honestly, Dad." Bex said. She took a step closer to him, and even though she's tiny compared to him, he still steps away from her. "I have swim suits I can go put on if you'd like. It's just a skirt."

Rick sighed. "I know. Sorry, Bex."

Bex shook her head and hugged her father before she went to the door where her friends were waiting for her. "I have my phone." Bex said as she held up the dinky cell phone her parents had given her for when she went out without them.

Kate nodded and watched as Bex closed the door behind her.

The door slammed closed, and Kate jerked her head to watch as her youngest daughter stormed into the house.

"Bex? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I've just been asked not to return to the mall without my parents." Bex seethed.

"What?" Kate asked. "What happened?"

"There were some boys outside one of the stores. When we walked by they said some things, and it bugged me. I turned around to tell them off, and apparently, they thought that was 'cute'."

Kate cringed. No one outside their family could really call Bex cute. She wouldn't stand for it.

"What did you do?" Kate asked, almost afraid to know.

"Nothing. I asked them to keep their thoughts to themselves and went back to my friends. But then I heard them picking on someone else, and it pissed me off, so I went back and punched every one of them."

Kate sighed. "Did you tell that to the cop that kicked you out?"

"Please, mom. He wasn't a cop. He only caught me because he was right there. I could have run for 30 seconds and he wouldn't be able to catch up."

Kate wanted to laugh, but she just raised her eyebrow.

"No. I was still annoyed, and he kept talking to me like I was stupid."

"What did you say?"

"I uh, I told him that my mom was a way better cop than he'd ever be. He didn't take too well to that."

Kate sighed and shook her head. "We need to work on your temper." She murmured.

Bex chuckled. "That's what Uncle Kevin said when he got there."

"Kevin was there?"

"Yeah. After I started telling the boys off Lizzie called him. Said she figured I'd need him."

"What did the cop do?"

"You mean when he was faced with a real police officer?"

"Bex." Kate warned.

Bex sighed. "Originally I was banned from the mall altogether. Now I have to be with you or dad. Or another police officer."

Kate sighed and shook her head again. But she couldn't be mad. Not when Bex was the spitting image of her at that age. Feisty side and all.

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**Hope you guys liked that. I've got one for each of the twins too. If you have any ideas for this story, let me know and I'll do my best. If you have any ideas at all, let me know.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	4. Nicknames-Annabelle

**Here's the nicknames chapter for Annabelle. Hope you guys like it.**

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Annabelle: It's the name she's always felt was a bit too formal for her. Unless she was with her grandmother. Then it was the only name she had.

"Annabelle, honestly, I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this." Martha said.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I"m trying to do my homework." The 8-year-old hissed. "It's not very easy when you're interrupting me every five seconds."

Martha rolled her eyes. "You need to lighten up, dear. Life's too short to be cooped up with homework all the time."

Anna sighed and hung her head. She knew her grandmother was right, but she was almost done.

"Alright, Gram. I'll make you a deal."

"Oh?"

"You give me five minutes to finish this, and I'll help you make dinner."

"Fine." Martha agreed and left the kitchen, no doubt out to talk with Maggie Jo.

Five minutes later, Anna was finishing her last sentence when she heard what sounded like a timer. Sure enough, seconds after she wrote her last question mark, Martha was entering the kitchen.

"Annabelle, please come help me with dinner."

Anna sighed and shook her head as she stood up. As annoyed as she pretended to be, Anna loved helping her grandmother.

* * *

Annie: It's a little too cutesie for her, unless it's said in her grandfather's soft voice.

"Annie. Come on, Annie." Jim said softly as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

Anna blinked her eyes open and saw her grandfather standing beside the car door. She fumbled with the buckle on her seat belt, but she managed to get it unhooked and then her grandfather was lifting her from the car, and that was perfect, because she wasn't really in the mood to walk. Jim set the 6-year-old on his hip and carried her into her house. She knew she was supposed to be helping her sisters set out cookies for Santa, but she was still getting over being sick, and she really didn't feel like it. But she didn't really think much of it, because her grandfather was humming in her ear.

"Sleep, Annie. It's ok, just sleep." Jim murmured. So she did.

* * *

Banana: She really isn't sure why she tolerates it, but she loves her Uncle Javi, and darn him for knowing it.

"Yo, Banana, what are you doing here?"

Anna sighed. She knows by now that it's useless to try to get him to stop so she rolls her eyes and deals with it.

"Waiting for mom and dad. Bex and Maggie are in the break room, but I got bored. Who died?"

Her uncle just shook his head and gestured for her to go back to where her sisters were, but Anna shook her head. Suddenly in a move that was too quick for her to see it, he had her draped over his shoulder and was carrying her back to the room she was supposed to be in.

"You're no fun, Uncle Javi." She whined when he set her down.

"Now I know you don't mean that, Banana." He said before turning and going back to his job.

"I'm not a piece of fruit!" She called after him, not caring when other people turned to look at her like she'd lost her mind. She was used to it.

* * *

Anna: It's simple and clean, and just slightly sophisticated.

"Anna, are you sure you want to do black and white? You won't get bored?" Her dad asked as they were picking out paint colors for her room.

"It's clean and classic, Dad. I won't get bored."

Rick sighed but nodded in thanks to the lady behind the counter who handed over the cans of paint.

"Come on, Anna. Let's go paint your room."

Two days later, Rick sees her room fully put together and he has to admit that the black and white doesn't look the least bit boring. It's clean and he realizes as he looks around that it fits his daughter perfectly. It's odd, but after he gets used to it, he can't imagine anything different. Just like his Anna.

* * *

**Well, was it ok? The last one felt a bit weird, but I still like it. Ideas for this story? Or ideas for other Caskett things in general? Just let me know!  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	5. Nicknames-Margaret

**And Now it's Margaret's turn.**

* * *

Margaret: It doesn't really roll off the tongue very well, but her grandmother always makes it sound lovely.

"Margaret, dear."

"What, Gram?"

"Would you mind running lines with me?"

Maggie sighed. "Nope. As long as I'm not your love interest."

Martha laughed. "I won't out you through that again, Margaret." She promises, and Maggie can't help but smile.

"Well, then sure. Who are we today?"

* * *

Maggie Jo: It hadn't really been what they were going to call her, but Jim had thought it was cute.

"Maggie Jo, come on. I've been searching for hours."

"But, Grandpa." She cried. "I know I left it here! And Mumma has to have it!" The 5-year-old exclaimed as tears poured down her face.

Jim knelt in front of his youngest granddaughter and wiped her tears away. "I know it won't be the same, Maggie Jo, but can I help you draw another picture for your mom?"

Maggie sniffled and nodded slowly after a moment. "'Kay." She said softly.

Jim smiled and picked her up. He carried her into the kitchen where Anna was coloring another picture and Bex was reading a book. Jim sat down and settled Maggie on his lap as he pulled a piece of paper toward him.

"What color first, Maggie Jo?"

"Blue." She whispered.

15 minutes later, Maggie had a picture that was almost better than the original. "There you go, Maggie Jo." Jim whispered. "A picture your mom will be proud to hang up anywhere."

"Thank you, Grandpa." She murmured as she hugged him tightly. Jim just smiled and kiss her head.

* * *

MJ: At first she'd had no idea who the King of Pop was. But after she found out how much her Uncle Javi loved his music, she had no doubt that was the real reason he insisted on the nickname he'd given her.

"MJ, are you supposed to be here?"

"Yes?" Maggie hedged. Her dad had brought them. And he hadn't said to stay in the conference room either.

Her uncle just looked at her before he gestured for her to come over to him. When she arrived, he pulled her into his lap and turned to face his computer. He opened his internet and together they googled pictures of kittens and puppies. She knew her uncle would deny it later, but she loved when he did things like this with her.

Which of course was when her mom walked in with a look of panic on her face. Until she saw Maggie sitting with her uncle. Then she was just mildly annoyed.

* * *

Maggie: It's simple, and not to frilly. It fits her, plain and simple.

"Maggie, we're gonna start playing a game!" Bex called up the stairs. "Mom says you can join if you're not going to pout!"

Maggie stuck her head out of her room and edged down the hall until she was in the spot where she could see down to her family, but she would be able to drop to the floor and crawl away if they looked up at her. She watched for a moment as her mom got the game ready and her sisters and dad sat down to start playing. She wanted to join them, but she was still hurt by Bex's earlier comment, and she really just wanted a hug from her mother.

She heard murmuring down below and she had barely enough time to get away before her mom was climbing the stairs.

"Maggie?" Kate called softly as she pushed open her youngest daughter's room. "Where are you, sweetheart?"

Maggie peeked over the edge of her bed and Kate smiled when they locked eyes. Rather than demanding that her daughter come to her, Kate crawled across the bed and dropped down to the floor beside her.

"Don't you want to play a game, Maggie?" Kate asked.

Maggie shook her head. "I said sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass her." She murmured and Kate smiled.

"I know, sweetie. Come on, let's read a book, ok?"

Maggie nodded and curled up in her mother's lap as Kate read to her. By the time the book was finished, Maggie felt a lot better, but she still wanted some time alone with her mom. After all, everyone knows that moms give the best hugs.

* * *

**I hope you guys think this is just as cute as I did when I was originally writing it. I'm not sure how I feel about it right now, but I still really like it. I'm just not sure if I like it as much as I did when I originally wrote it. Have ideas for this story or any others? Feel free to let me know.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	6. Late Nights

Kate sighed as she pushed open the front door; it had been a long day and she was ready to forget everything about the case. The house was quiet, and a quick glance at the clock had Kate's heart sinking. It was nearly 11 pm, which meant Bex was asleep, and Rick was probably well on his way.

Kate made her way through the house and into the bedroom, where she found Rick sitting in their bed with his computer open on his lap.

"Hi." She said with a smile.

"Hi." Rick replied without looking up.

"When did Bex go to sleep?"

"8:30. Same as always." Rick said with something resembling animosity in his tone. "She wanted to stay up until you got him, but I didn't know when that would be."

Kate nodded. "I'm sorry. I just-"

"There are leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry. I'm gonna try and get some sleep now that you're home." Rick interrupted her as he closed his computer and set it on the bedside table.

Kate watched as he turned over so his back was to her and sighed. She walked into the closet and stripped out of her work clothes and pulled on a pair of shorts and one of Rick's t-shirts. As she left the bedroom, she turned the light off and made her way back to the kitchen and pulled out the containers with the pasta and vegetables Rick had made. She made herself a plate and stuck it in the microwave to reheat.

When her food was done, she took it to the bar and began eating while trying not to grab the stack of files she'd brought home. But after 5 minutes she gave up and dragged them in front of her, having mastered the ability to eat while looking at gruesome photos a long time ago.

She was so caught up in trying to find something hidden in the pictures that she didn't notice Rick come into the kitchen and stand behind her.

"Are you planning on sleeping at all? Or are you just gonna go until you crash?" Rick asked in a biting tone.

"Rick, please." Kate sighed as she dropped her head. She didn't have enough enough energy to fight right now.

"What, Kate? What do you want me to do?"

Suddenly, Kate couldn't hold it in anymore. She stood and looked at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want you to lay off, Castle." She hissed, making sure not to wake Bex up. "I want you to calm down and not act like it's the worst thing I've ever done to come home late _one night_. I had an absolutely horrible day, and all I wanted was to come home and maybe get a hug from my husband, maybe go watch my little girl sleep for a few minutes so I know that she's ok and hasn't ended up like _these_ little girls."

Kate grabbed the files and shoved them in Rick's face. He kept looking at her, but he grabbed the files. After a moment, he looked down at them, and Kate watched as all the anger and frustration drained out of him.

"H-how old were they?" He asked in a whisper.

"The youngest was 3 the oldest was 6." Kate answered as she lowered herself back onto the bar stool.

"How many?"

Kate sighed. "4 so far, and we're no closer to figuring out who's doing it."

Rick sighed and set the files on the counter and pulled Kate off her stool and into his arms. "I'm sorry, Kate. You're right, I shouldn't have been so mean."

Kate sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned into his embrace. "I know. I honestly didn't mean to work so late, but the most recent girl reminded me so much of Bex, and this whole case is making it difficult for me, and Ryan too. God, Rick. When we got to the scene yesterday, there was a moment when we all thought the little girl _was_ Lizzie. It wasn't until Ryan found out why he wasn't being allowed near the scene that he told us that Lizze was with Jenny, and he called her to make sure. But ever since then, we've been working like crazy to find something, but there's nothing. Nothing connecting any of the girls at all. And if the pattern holds, there will be another girl for us to find tomorrow or the next day."

Rick pressed a gentle kiss to Kate's head. "What do you need, Kate?" He murmured.

"Honestly? I just need to see Bex and maybe get a hug from her."

Rick nodded and pulled away. He gave Kate a gentle shove toward the stairs while he grabbed her empty dishes and took care of them. Kate nodded and smiled in thanks before she climbed the stairs and walked down the hall to her daughter's room.

She paused for a moment in front of the door before she carefully pushed it open and stepped inside. The light from the flower night light gave Kate enough light to see her daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed with her moose tucked under her arm. Kate walked across the room and kneeled on the floor by Bex's head. She brought her hand up and gently tucked a piece of Bex's chestnut hair behind her ear. Her daughter wrinkled her nose at the movement, and Kate smiled at the sight.

Slowly, Bex opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times before she was able to make out her mom's figure. "Mumma?" The 5 year old mumbled sleepily.

"Hi, Bex. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Bex nodded and snuggled further under the covers. Kate smiled as she stood up. "Scoot over a little, Bex." Kate murmured.

Bex complied, and Kate climbed into her bed and sat so that Bex could rest her head in Kate's lap. "I'm sorry I missed you tonight." Kate murmured as she stroked her daughter's hair.

"'Sokay. You gotsa help people." Bex murmured.

"I know. But I just want you to know that I love you, ok?"

"I know, Mumma. I love you too."

Kate smiled down at her daughter and shifted so she was laying next to Bex. Bex snuggled into Kate's side and rested her head on Kate's shoulder while her arm went across Kate's stomach. Seconds later, Bex was asleep again, and Kate didn't want to leave.

After a few more minutes, Kate heard a noise outside the door and a second later, Rick was standing in the doorway. "Hey." He murmured, smiling at the sight of his wife and daughter.

"Hi." Kate whispered back.

"Are you coming to bed?" Rick asked.

"I'm stuck, so I'll stay here." Kate replied.

Rick nodded and came into the room to give Kate another kiss. "I love you." He murmured.

"I love you too." Kate replied with a smile. Rick kissed both Kate and Bex once more before he turned and left the room.

Kate sighed and shifted slightly before she closed her eyes. While once dreams of innocent children killed would have plagued her with nightmares, but Kate knew that being able to hold her daughter, and knowing she was safe, would make for peaceful dreams.

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**There you have it. I hope you guys liked this.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	7. Shoes

**Alright, saved240307, this is for you.**

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Kate was reading a book, almost completely oblivious to the events going on in her house. Or not going on, as seemed to be the case.

Rick was on a book tour, a short, 4-day trip that was a necessity since his new Nikki Heat just came out, and that meant that Kate was alone with their three girls. Alexis had offered to stay at their house while her dad was away, but Kate had told her it wasn't necessary since Alexis was trying to finish up her doctorate, and having a 7 year old and two 2-year-olds constantly wanting to play wouldn't help her study.

Kate was just about to start another chapter when she heard a crash from the master bedroom.

"Bex?" She called. All three of her girls had disappeared while she'd been reading, and while that wasn't a strange occurrence in and of itself, it had been nearly an hour since she'd seen any of them.

"Yeah?" Her daughter called back.

"Are you ok?" Kate asked as she started getting off the couch.

"We're fine. Don't come in here!" Bex shouted back, and Kate could hear her whispering to her sisters.

"Bex, what are you doing?" Kate asked, only slightly annoyed.

"Just wait a second!" Bex called.

Kate sighed, but she let it go and restated herself on the couch. She only had to wait a moment before she heard a clicking coming from the hallway leading to the family room. She looked over and broke into a smile.

Bex, Anna, and Maggie were walking toward her- although the twins were toddling more than walking, and they each had a death grip on Bex's hand- but it was the sight of her shoes on their feet more than anything else that made her smile.

"Ta-da!" Bex exclaimed as they came to a stop in front of her. "What do you think of our new shoes?"

Kate just laughed and shook her head. She held her hands out and gestured for Maggie and pulled the little girl into her lap. One of the shoes started slipping off Maggie's foot, but Kate managed to reach out and get it back in place. Kate reached her hand out and tickled her youngest daughter and pressed a kiss to her brown ringlets when the little girl burst into laughter.

"Whose idea was this?" Kate asked Bex.

"That depends. If you're mad, it was them. If you're not mad, it was all of us. If you think it's cute, it was me." The 7-year-old said as she helped Anna onto the couch and sat down on her other side.

Kate laughed again and reached out to gently tug on one of Anna's curls. "Is she telling the truth, Anna?"

"Yep!" The little girl chirped with a head nod, causing all her curls to bounce around her face.

"Maggie?" Kate asked.

"Uh-huh!"

Kate looked at Bex and cracked a smile. "Well, then. How do you ladies like your new shoes?"

Bex laughed. "They actually kind of hurt. I don't know how you wear them all day."

Kate looked at her daughter's shoes and smirked. "I don't. I wear those ones when Daddy takes me out."

Bex nodded. "That makes sense."

Kate smiled and slid Maggie off her lap. The little girl pouted until Kate nudged her sisters to join her. "Alright, girls, time for a picture to send to Daddy." Kate said as she pulled out her phone.

All three girls instantly hit a pose, with Bex in the middle and the twins on either side. They all smiled at the camera as Kate snapped the picture and sent it to Rick. Almost instantly, he texted her back, instructing her to get on Skype quickly.

Kate sent Bex to get her computer and pulled Anna onto her lap after she helped Maggie onto the couch. Bex returned and set Kate's computer on the coffee table just as Rick's face appeared on the screen.

"Daddy!" Anna and Maggie cried at the same time.

"Hi, girls." Rick said with a smile. "Are you having fun playing with Momma's shoes?"

All three girls nodded and instantly launched into what had given them the idea, although Bex's explanation was the only one that really made sense. The family spent the next hour chatting about everything going on.

"When are you coming home, Daddy?" Maggie asked as she fought to stay awake.

Rick smiled at his daughter. "I'll be home tomorrow night, Maggie."

Maggie nodded and let out a huge yawn, and Anna let out her own a few seconds later.

"I think that means bedtime." Rick said.

Their daughters started whining, but Kate shook her head and maneuvered herself so she was standing in front of them. She pulled her shoes off their feet and scooped them both into her arms. Then she turned and faced the computer and smiled at her husband.

"Alright, girls, say goodnight to Daddy." Kate said.

"Night, Daddy." Maggie said with a wave.

"Night night, Daddy." Anna added.

"Goodnight, girls. I love you both so much."

Kate smiled and turned to carry the girls up the stairs to their bedrooms. When she got back downstairs, Bex and Rick were talking about her day at school, and she paused in the doorway to watch them interact with each other. It never ceased to amaze her how Rick acted with their daughters.

Rick must have noticed her in the background because Bex suddenly turned around. "Do I have to go to bed now?" She asked.

Kate sighed. "I guess not." She said as she sat beside her daughter and pulled her into her side. She saw her shoes on the floor and smiled. They really weren't that comfortable, but they were cute.

"You may be allowed to stay up, but I have an early morning, so I'm going to go to bed." Rick said with a smile. "I'll see you lovely ladies tomorrow night, ok?"

"Ok. Goodnight, Daddy." Bex replied and she blew him a kiss.

"Goodnight, Rick." Kate murmured with a smile.

When Rick had cut the video feed, Kate leaned forward and shut her computer before she grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, making sure to keep it quiet so she didn't wake the twins. An hour later, Bex was asleep, and Kate was nearly there, so she turned off the movie they'd been watching and carefully lifted her daughter into her arms. Rather than trying to carry her upstairs, Kate turned and carried Bex into the master bedroom and set her on Rick's side of the bed and pulled the covers up over her body before she walked around to her own side of the bed.

She got into the bed and smiled when Bex wiggled over to curl into Kate's side. She kissed her daughter's head before she let her eyes slip closed as she followed her into unconsciousness.

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**There you go, I hope that was what you were looking for. For everyone else, if you have any prompts for this story, or another story, please please please please ****_please_**** let me know.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	8. Bedtime

As Kate walked into the living room after she got home, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight she was met with.

Rick was lying on the couch with Bex on his chest. The seven month old was lying so that her forehead was pressing into Rick's neck, and Rick was resting one of his hands on her back to keep her in place.

Kate smiled and took a step forward. She pulled her phone out and snapped a picture before setting it on the coffee table. She walked over to her husband and daughter and smoothed back the hair covering Rick's forehead.

Rick grunted and slowly blinked awake. He smiled when he saw his wife sitting by his head, and he carefully shifted Bex as he sat up.

"Hey." Kate murmured As she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hi." Rick replied.

Kate smiled when Rick offered her the baby and she took her daughter into her arms and cuddled the still sleeping infant.

"She already have a bath?" Kate asked.

Rick nodded. "I didn't know how long you and Lanie would be out."

Kate nodded and shifted Bex back to Rick's arms. "Go put her to bed, then we can have some grown up conversation."

Rick smiled and kissed Kate's head before he stood and carried his daughter up the stairs.

10 minutes later, Rick still hadn't returned, so Kate got off the couch and walked to Bex's room, where she found her husband asleep in the rocking chair with their daughter asleep against his chest.

She walked over and gently pulled Bex into her arms and set her in the crib. When she turned around, Rick was looking at her sleepily.

"Come on, Writer Boy. It's bedtime." Kate murmured.

Rick nodded and stood and followed her from the room. As soon as thy got to their bedroom, Rick threw himself face down on the bed, and he was asleep within moments.

When Kate returned from the bathroom, she spared a smile at his form before she climbed in bed with him and snuggled up to him, and she was out in less than a minute.

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**Hope you guys liked that.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	9. Anniversary

**TORONTOSUN, this is for you. I know you wanted a birthday thing, but I went with their anniversary instead, so that both parents could still be asleep while the girls cooked.**

* * *

"Maggie, come on, wake up." Bex whispered as she shook her sister's shoulder lightly.

Maggie groaned and opened her eyes groggily. "Bex." She whined. "It's still dark out."

Bex sighed and pulled her sister from the bed and out of the room, where Anna was waiting in the hallway. "I know. But Momma wakes up early, so we have to get up earlier to cook for her and Daddy." The eleven year old reasoned.

Maggie sighed but followed her sisters downstairs. "Why are we cooking for them?" She asked as they entered the kitchen.

"It's their anniversary." Bex informed her as she grabbed the loaf of bread and took it to the toaster.

"Their what?" Anna asked.

"Anniversary. It's the day they got married."

"But they've been married." Maggie pointed out.

"I know. It's like, their wedding's birthday." Bex finally said, proud of the analogy she'd thought of.

"Oh, ok." Anna said with a shrug. "What are we making?"

"Well, we're not allowed to use the stove without Momma, Daddy, or Alexis helping us, but I'm allowed to make toast, so we can make them toast and oatmeal. And we still have the jam from that lady in the Hamptons."

Maggie nodded. "Ok. What do we do?"

Bex considered the two six year olds for a moment before she decided on their job. "You can get the trays and dishes out. Anna, decorate Daddy's and Maggie, do Momma's. And get an extra glass and some of the flowers off the balcony to decorate them."

The little girls nodded and scampered off. "But be quiet!" Bex hissed after them.

After they had left to get the flowers, Bex grabbed the box of oatmeal and the bowl her parents usually used to cook it in. She measured out enough for two servings and added the milk before she turned to the microwave. She barely managed to put the container in without spilling, since the microwave was above a section of the counter, and thus at an awkward angle.

When the oatmeal was cooking, Bex turned to the toaster and put in two pieces for each of her parents.

When the twins returned, they set their flowers on the counter, and Bex watched as Anna carefully climbed onto the counter and pulled out bowls, plates, and cups. She set them on the counter, and Maggie carried them over to where the trays were waiting while Anna climbed down.

The microwave was a second away from being done, so Bex quickly pulled it open to avoid the ding that could wake her parents. She carefully portioned out the oatmeal and finished it off how her parents liked-brown sugar for her dad and raisins for her mom.

When she was finished, she pulled the toast out and carefully spread the jam over the toast and set it on the tray before she went to the fridge and got the orange juice out and poured some for her parents.

When she was done, she looked at the trays before she nodded. She handed a tray to each of her sisters and instructed them to walk carefully and slowly to their parents' bedroom. She followed along behind them with the juice glasses in her hands.

When they walked into the bedroom, Bex set the juice down and went to the light switch and flicked the lights on, grateful that her parents already had the lights on a dim setting.

"Momma, Daddy, wake up." She said softly as her sisters set the trays on the bed.

"Huh? Bex?" Rick mumbled as he woke up.

"And Anna and Maggie." Maggie piped up as she climbed on the bed, careful not to disturb the tray.

"We made you breakfast." Anna said as she climbed up to sit beside her father's head.

"Rick, wass goin' on?" Kate mumbled as she rolled over and almost squished Maggie. "Maggie? What are you doin' here, sweetie?"

"We made you breakfast for your wedding birthday." Maggie said as she snuggled into her mother's side.

"Huh?"

"Your anniversary." Bex clarified. "We made you and Daddy breakfast."

Kate smiled at her daughter as she brought the tray up across her lap and started eating. Beside her, Rick was pulling himself up into a sitting position. He lifted Anna to sit between him and Kate, next to Maggie, and Bex climbed onto the foot of the bed and sat facing her parents.

"You did well, girls." Rick said after a moment.

"Thanks." Bex said with a smile.

When their breakfast was done, Rick left for a moment to return the trays and dishes to the kitchen, and when he got back, he pulled Bex into his lap and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." He whispered as he kissed her head.

Bex smiled in return and gave her dad a hug and let her mom pull her over for a quick kiss.

The family spent the rest of the morning in bed laughing and talking. There was even one memorable pillow fight that ended up with a broken pillow, feathers everywhere, and a blanket fort taking up the entire family room.

At noon, a knock on the door sent the girls racing upstairs to get dressed while Rick let his oldest daughter in.

10 minutes later, Bex, Anna, and Maggie were walking out the door with Alexis with their overnight bags in tow so that their parents could have some time to themselves.

"Happy anniversary, Momma." Bex whispered as she hugged her tightly before leaving.

"Thank you, Bex. And by the way?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"One of the best Anniversary gifts I've ever had."

Bex smiled before she turned and left. That had been her goal, after all.

* * *

**There you go, I hope you liked it, TORONTOSUN.**

**If you have any prompts for this story, please let me know and I'll do my best to get it done in a timely manner.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	10. Insecurity

As soon as Kate walked into the house, she was greeted by a chorus of exclamations.

"Momma!" Anna cried as she toddled over to her mother. Kate smiled down at her as she unclipped her gun and stored it along with her badge. When she was done, she leaned down and scooped the two-year-old into her arms and gave her a kiss.

"Hello, Anna." Kate said as she kissed her head. "Where are Daddy and Maggie?"

"Playin'." The little girl answered as Kate carried her into the family room where Rick was on the floor with Maggie.

"Mumma!" Maggie shouted and she gave her mother a dazzling smile and a wave.

"Hi, Maggie." Kate replied as she set Anna back on the floor and folded herself down to sit beside Rick. "And hello to you, too." She added as she leaned over and kissed her husband.

"Hi. They got hungry so we ate already, but I left a plate in the oven for you." Rick informed her with a smile as Maggie tried to climb his back to get onto his shoulders.

Kate nodded and gave her twins one last kiss before she stood and made her way to the kitchen to eat the dinner Rick had saved her. When she turned to enter the kitchen, she found Bex sitting on the couch with an odd look on her face.

"Bex! How long have you been sitting there?" Kate asked, certain she hadn't seen her oldest daughter when she walked in.

Bex shrugged. "A while, I guess." She answered.

Kate nodded and continued on her way to the kitchen, gesturing for Bex to follow her.

When they got to the kitchen, Bex climbed onto one of the stools, and after Kate had gotten her food out of the oven, she sat beside her.

"So how was school today?"

Bex shrugged again. "It was fine, I guess."

Kate nodded. "Did you learn anything fun?"

"Not really."

Kate gave her daughter a curious look, but Bex wouldn't meet her eyes, so Kate couldn't tell if she was upset or just tired.

They passed the rest of Kate's meal in silence, and just before she finished eating, Rick entered with a girl on each hip.

"I'm going to bed." Bex announced and before Kate could say anything, she had left the kitchen.

"We're going up for bath time." He said.

Kate nodded. "Give me a chance to take care of these, and I'll meet you in the bathroom."

"Don't worry about it." Rick said. "Why don't you go figure out what's bothering Bex?" He added when he saw her confused expression.

"She's just tired, Rick." Kate said as she loaded up the dishwasher.

"She's been like this for the whole week. I'm worried something might be happening at school."

"That was my first thought, but she hasn't said anything,"

"Well, she is your daughter. Sometimes it takes a while to get something out of her. Just give it a shot? I'll take care of bedtime, ok?"

Kate nodded. "Ok. I'll go peel our onion."

Rick laughed and carried the twins out of the room and into the bathroom while Kate head toward her oldest daughter's room.

"Bex?" Kate called as she knocked on the door. "Can I come in, sweetie?"

She heard a muffled response, which she took for a yes and gently pushed the door open.

Bex was sitting with her back against her headboard and her knees drawn up to her chest. She was reading a book, and as Kate approached, Bex refused to lift her eyes to look at her mom.

"Whatcha reading?" Kate asked as she sat down on Bex's right.

"A book the librarian thought I would like." She answered with a shrug.

Kate watched her read for a moment, and it quickly became clear that Bex wasn't really reading. So Kate gently too the book out of her grasp and marked her daughter's place before she closed it and set it on the nightstand.

"What's up, Bex?" Kate asked.

"Nothing." Bex mumbled as she looked down at her knees.

"Rebecca, you know better than to lie to me." Kate said softly as she tucked a piece of Bex's hair behind her ear. "What's going on?"

Bex sighed, but she didn't say anything. Kate didn't push, however, because she could tell that her daughter was trying to find words for her thoughts. Finally, Bex took a deep breath and spoke.

"What did I do?" She asked softly.

"I don't know what you mean, Bex." Kate said.

"What did I do wrong?" Bex asked as she turned to face her mother.

Kate had a hard time catching her breath momentarily when Bex's eyes, so similar to her own- and so filled with sadness- met hers.

"I don't know, Bex. But who said you did something wrong? Was it Daddy?"

"No one said it." Bex murmured. "But I had to have done something wrong, right?"

"I'm really confused, Bex. If no one said you did anything, why do you think you did something wrong? Did Daddy put you in timeout today?"

"Daddy didn't do anything." Bex mumbled as she turned her gaze back to her knees.

"Then why do you think- Oh, Bex." Kate gasped as the realization hit her. "What did I do, Bex?"

"That's the point, you didn't do anything." Bex replied.

"Ok, I'm lost again. If I didn't do anything, why do you think you did something wrong?"

"_That's_ it. You didn't do anything."

"You're gonna need to give me more than that, Bex." Kate murmured. She used her hand to gently turn Bex's face toward her so she could look her daughter in the eye. "I can't fix whatever I did or didn't do if you won't tell me."

"It's stupid." Bex finally said. "It doesn't matter."

"Don't say that, Bex. If something's upset you, then it matters."

Bex sighed again, but she started talking anyway. "Everyday when you got home, the first thing you'd do was hug me. You'd out your gun and badge away, and you'd come find me a give me a hug, always. But then a couple months ago, you stopped. You got home and you went straight to Anna and Maggie and started cuddling and playing with them. And I told myself that it was ok, that you'd hug me later, and you did. You gave me a hug before I went to bed. But tonight was the third night in a row where I've gone to bed, and you didn't give me a hug or anything. And I tried to tell myself that it was ok, that it didn't really matter, that I didn't need a hug, but it's not ok, and I really needed a hug."

Bex paused for a moment, and Kate would have spoken, but she knew her daughter wasn't done, and she knew that it was best to let her say everything she needed to say.

"Was I not enough anymore?" Bex finally asked in a small voice. "Is that why you had Anna and Maggie? Was I not enough for you and Daddy?" Bex asked as she turned to look at Kate again.

Kate reached out and wiped away the few tears that had fallen from her daughter's eyes before she spoke. "Oh, no, Bex. God, no. You were more than enough. You're still more than enough, and you always will be." Kate whispered fiercely as she hugged her daughter.

"Then what did I do? Is it 'cause I'm not as perfect as Alexis? Cause I can be, if I have a little time to work on it. I can be perfect like her. I can be interesting like Anna and Maggie, if that's it." Bex said hopefully as even more tears welled in her eyes. "Whatever I did wrong, I can fix it, Momma, I can."

"Bex, shhh." Kate murmured as she pulled her daughter onto her lap. "Stop talking like that right now, ok?"

"But I mean it. I can change. I can be better, I really can, if that's what you and Daddy want me to do."

"Bex, no. Never. You listen to me very carefully, ok?" Kate asked. Bex nodded slowly and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears that had escaped.

"I never want to hear you say something like that again, do you hear me?" Again Bex nodded. "I don't want you comparing yourself to Alexis. Or to Anna and Maggie, for that matter. I never want you to do that. You're not them, ok? You're you, and that's more than enough for everybody that loves you."

"But-" Bex started.

"No." Kate interrupted her. "You are perfect in your own way, just like Alexis is perfect in her way and Anna and Maggie are perfect in theirs, ok? You don't need to be any better than you already are."

"But everyone always says how perfect Alexis is, how she's always doing the right thing. And even Anna and Maggie are more interesting than me, because there's two of them. But I've got nothing. I'm not special, not like them."

"And that's ok. I'm not special like them either. But you've got your own things that make you wonderful, Bex. You're beautiful, smart, kind, and you care more about the people you love than you do about yourself, and that takes a lot to do. You put other peoples' wishes and needs before your own, and that is an impressive thing, and it's something that I have trouble with a lot of the time."

"But what good is all of that? What good is it if I'm boring or not as smart as everyone else?"

"You're not as old as everyone else, so you can't compare yourself to them." Kate said gently.

Bex didn't say anything, and Kate knew she was still having issues believing her. So she slid Bex off her lap and got off the bed.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back. I promise it won't be more than 2 minutes, ok?"

Bex nodded and watched as her mom walked out of the room. Less than two minutes later, Kate returned and she was carrying an old wooden box. She set the box on Bex's bed and got back in her previous position before she pulled the box toward her.

Bex watched as Kate carefully opened the box and pulled out a picture. It was of a little girl, about 9 or 10, and Bex couldn't deny that she was pretty. "Who's that?" She asked.

"That's my mom." Kate answered. She pulled out another photo, this one had a girl looking almost exactly the same, but with slight differences. "And this is me." Kate said with a smile. "When I used to visit my grandmother as a little girl, she'd sometimes call me Johannah. She always told me that I looked just like my mom did when she was my age."

Bex nodded and watched as Kate pulled out one more picture. It was a picture of Bex taken just a few months ago. Kate laid the pictures out on Bex's bed, with Johannah's on the left, Kate's in the middle, and Bex's on the right.

"The first time you opened your eyes, after all the blue had faded, I thought I was looking at my mom again. Even now, there are times where I see you and all I can think of is the wonderful times we had together." Kate put Bex's picture on top of her own, and Bex was able to clearly see the similarities between her and her grandmother.

"You're every perfect thing my mom used to be, and then some. She was just as kind and just as caring, and like you, she would do anything for the people she loved."

Bex just looked up at her mother, unsure of what to say. Kate seemed to know what she was thinking though. "This is what good it is." Kate said. "Just because you don't think anything about yourself is special doesn't mean it's true. You are beyond what I could have ever hoped for in a daughter, Bex."

Bex nodded and lifted up the picture of Johannah. Kate watched her for a moment and couldn't fight the smile that came whenever she thought about all the good times with her mom.

"I want you to have something, Bex. Something my mom would have wanted you to have." Kate murmured.

Bex set the picture down and turned slightly to face her mom. Kate picked up the wooden box and set it in front of Bex with the lid still open.

"It's uh- it's a very pretty box." Bex said, slightly confused.

Kate laughed. "The gift isn't the box. Well, I'm giving you that too, but the box is from my dad's side of the family. This is your gift." Kate said as she reached beneath her shirt and pulled a chain from around her neck. Bex was confused for just a moment before she saw the ring dangling from the chain.

"This was my moms, her mother had given it to her when she was a little girl, and my mom held on to it, even managed to convince my dad to propose to her with it. She gave it to me the day I left for college. It was always meant for the oldest daughter, but since I was an only child, I was going to get it anyway."

"Then shouldn't you give it to Alexis?" Bex asked, confused since a lot of their friends referred to Alexis as Kate's oldest daughter.

Kate just shook her head though. "As much as I love Alexis, she's not my daughter; at least, not in the way you, Anna, and Maggie are. While it can be said that I was more of a mother to Alexis when she needed it than her own mother was, that's not what this is about. You're technically my oldest daughter, which means this is yours." Kate said as she reached out and slipped the chain over Bex's head.

The chain settled and the ring dangled in front of Bex's chest, just as it had done when Kate wore it. "Can I make a proposition?" Kate asked after a moment of silence.

"Sure." Bex replied.

"Well, for starters, everyday when I get home, the first thing I'll do, after putting my badge and gun away, is find you and give you a hug, ok? I can't remember why I stopped, but it won't happen again. And twice a week, after dinner, we'll have Daddy give Anna and Maggie their baths by himself, and the two of us will talk, ok? About anything and everything, no matter how stupid you think it might be. And I'll promise you right now, if you ever do something wrong, I won't get mad at you if you tell me, ok? I can't promise that I won't be upset, but I will do my best not to be mad and not to yell at you, ok?"

Bex nodded and a smile was finally working its way across her face.

"But if you ever need to talk, no matter what it's about, you can always come to me, ok? No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you, alright? But if something's bothering you, you've got to tell me or Daddy. We're not mind readers, not really, and we can't fix something if you don't tell us that it needs to be fixed, understand?"

Bex nodded again and wrapped her arms tightly around Kate's neck. "Thank you." Bex whispered.

Kate pulled away with a smile and after she kissed Bex's head, she stood and headed to the door. Bex tried to give back the pictures, but Kate shook her head. "Keep them, you never know when you might need them."

Bex nodded and watched as her mom walked away. When Kate got to the door, she paused and turned around. "A word of advice? I wouldn't sleep with that on." She said as she gestured to the ring. "It's not very comfortable to lay on."

Bex smiled and slipped the chain from around her neck and set it gently in the box on top of the pictures.

"Momma?" Bex asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I uh- I don't hate Anna or Maggie. Or Alexis. Just thought you should know."

"Believe me, Bex, I know. I never thought you did."

"Ok. Just making sure." Bex replied with a shy smile.

"I love you, Bex." Kate said with a smile.

"I love you too, Momma." Bex replied as she set the box on her nightstand. Kate waited until her daughter was under the covers before she turned out the lights.

Within minutes, Bex was asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

**So this one was a bit longer, but I really liked the idea, so I decided to roll with it. This just came to me, and it seemed like something a middle(ish) child might feel. **

**If you have any ideas for this story, please please please please _please_ let me know and I'll do my best to get them done in a timely manner.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	11. Surprise

"Well, this is..."

"Unexpected?" Kate tried.

"That's a good word for it. I mean, it's not a bad thing is it?" Rick asked with concern.

"No, God, no." Kate said as she brought her hand up to his cheek. "Unexpected doesn't mean bad." Kate murmured.

Rick smiled and kissed Kate gently. "So we're really doing this again? We're gonna have another baby?"

Kate laughed and nodded. "We really are."

Rick's smile grew and he kissed Kate deeply as his hand dropped to herabdomen.

"How are we gonna tell the girls?" Rick asked after a moment.

"Well, I don't think we should just say 'Hey, I accidentally got pregnant. Just so you know.' They might not like that."

Rick laughed. "Probably not."

Kate thought for a moment. "Do you mind if I tell Bex by myself? I don't want her going back to what she thought when she was 7. I mean, I know she's older now, butstill. High school is stressful enough without finding out your parents are having another baby."

Rick nodded. "Of course. Do you want to wait a little first?"

"With the boys, Lanie, and Gates, yes. But with our family, no."

"Ok then. Let's get dressed and head to work, and you can figure out how to tell Bex."

The next day, Kate left for lunch early and drove to Bex's school to sign her daughter out for her lunch hour.

"Mom?" Bex asked as she came into the office. "What are you doing here?"

Kate shrugged. "Figured we could have lunch together."

Bex smiled and followed her mom out of the office. Bex threw her bag into the back seat and climbed up front.

"So where are we going?"

"I figured we'd do lunch in the park." Kate answered as she headed toward central park. "Assuming that's ok with you."

"Sure." Bex said with a shrug as she pulled her phone out and turned it off.

Kate found a parking spot and they got out of the car. As they were walking toward the entrance, Bex spotted a pizza stand, and Kate bought them each a slice of pizza and a water before they headed into the park and to their family's favorite spot.

They sat down on the grass and ate in silence, save for the occasional random comment. When Bex finished her pizza, she crumpled her napkin in her hand and turned to face her mom.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Bex asked.

"Who says I wanted to talk to you?" Kate asked, suddenly unsure of how to tell her the news.

Bex laughed. "For someone who's supposed to be a world-class detective, you're extremely transparent."

Kate sighed and took Bex's trash from her. She stood up and took the trash to a nearby trashcan and deposited it before she came back and sat down beside her daughter. Kate wrapped an arm around Bex's shoulders and pulled her into her side.

Kate took a deep breath before she let the words fall out of her mouth. "I'm pregnant."

Bex turned to face her mother. "Is that it?"

Kate stared at her for a moment. "What do you mean, is that it?"

"Just that I already knew."

"How?" Kate asked, completely confused.

Bex shrugged. "I was old enough to remember when you were pregnant with Anna and Maggie, so I figured. And then I was using your bathroom- cause it's closer to the family room than mine is- and I saw the test in the garbage."

Kate just stared at her daughter for a moment. "Well, ok then."

Bex laughed. "I'm not upset, Mom. I know, given what happened when I was younger, that that was probably your concern, but I'm fine with this. More than fine, really. I'm excited for you and Dad."

Kate sighed and smiled at her daughter. "Thank you, Bex."

Bex smiled back at her mother and kissed her cheek. "You're welcome. Now, come on. My lunch ends in 10 minutes."

"Alright." Kate said as she stood up.

"Oh, and mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you try to have a boy this time? I have as many sisters as I can handle."

Kate laughed and shook her head. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

**I had a lot of people ask for something like this, so here you go. **

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	12. Talking

"When you get here, we're gonna have so much fun. We'll go to the park and the zoo, and we'll go shopping, and I'll end up buying you just about everything." Rick said with a smile.

"Rick, shut up. Seriously. Just shut up, please." Kate said.

Rick looked up at her with a confused look in his eyes. "What am I doing wrong?"

Kate sighed. "I'd like to have a real conversation with you." Kate said.

"Just a minute." Rick said before he went back to his earlier conversation. "I know it'll be cold for a while, but when it warms up, we can go for walks everyday. It'll be fun, and-"

"For God's sake, Rick!" Kate exclaimed, startling her husband.

"Kate?"

"For just a few minutes will you please stop talking to my stomach and actually talk to me? I'm pregnant, not deaf."

Rick looked up at Kate. "I just-"

Kate sighed and Rick stopped talking. "I know. But I'm getting sick and tired of everyone talking to my stomach and not to me. It's so frustrating to have everyone talking to my stomach and just ignoring me."

Kate stopped talking for a moment and tried not to let the tears in her eyes fall down her cheeks.

"I'm not ok, Rick. I'm sore and tired all the time. I can barely see my feet, and Gates kicked me out of the precinct this week, so I can't even go to work. Not that it would make any difference, since the boys seem to think that I'm incapable of doing anything besides sitting at my desk."

Kate took a deep, shuddering breath. "I just want my body back." She said softly as tears finally slipped out of her eyes. "And I'm sick of these God damn hormones!" Kate exploded before she lost her steam and sank further into the corner of the couch and ket the tears fall down her cheeks.

Rick made a shushing noise as he moved away from her stomach and settled by Kate's head. "It's ok, Kate. I know you're frustrated, and I'm sorry that I haven't been acting like I used to. I know it's nor fair to act like you're just here to carrying our baby, and I'm sorry I have been." He murmured as he kissed her head.

Kate sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I know you're excited, and I am too, but I still want to be able to have a real conversation with you."

"I know, Kate. I know, and it's ok."

Kate nodded and allowed her eyes to slip closed. She felt Rick slip his arms beneath her knees and shoulders and carry her into their bedroom.

* * *

Kate's eyes fluttered open and she vaguely heard Rick's voice, but it took her a moment to realize that it was coming from beside her stomach. She was annoyed, until she heard what Rick was saying.

"Your momma is amazing. I know you probably already figured that out, but I just wanted to tell you. She's wonderful, and amazing, and she's absolutely perfect."

Kate smiled as Rick kept listing off why she was so wonderful. "And, she's awake now, which means she's gonna be annoyed, 'cause I promised to stop talking to you all the time. So now might be a good time to close your eyes and stop listening, ok?"

Kate laughed softly and tugged on Rick's hair to get him to climb up the bed to her. He kissed her softly and hovered over her. "Sorry." He murmured against her lips.

Kate smiled against his lips. "It's ok. Some conversations with the baby are nice. I just don't want you to not talk to me because you're only talking to the baby."

Rick smiled and kissed her again. "Duly noted."

After one final kiss, he laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms so they could both fall asleep.

* * *

**There you go, I hope you liked it. I just figured that every woman at some point got annoyed with people treating her differently while pregnant.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	13. Boys

**So many people asked for this, so I decided to give it my best shot. I'm not sure yet if this will be one chapter or if I'll split it into two. **

* * *

"What do you have, Espo?" Kate asked as she sat down at her desk.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." He replied.

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know. Her financials were good, nothing abnormal. None of her close accountancies had ties with the group. We didn't find..." Esposito trailed off.

"Espo?" Kate asked. "Esposito!"

Esposito flinched. "Sorry, it's just-" He broke off and pointed behind Kate.

When she turned around, she saw Bex standing behind her looking slightly nervous. "Bex?" She asked as she stood and walked to her daughter.

"Hi, Mom." She murmured. "Can we talk?"

"Of course. Go into the break room, and I'll be there in a second." Kate said.

Bex nodded and walked out of the bullpen. "I'll be right back." Kate told Esposito. "See what you can find, however far you have to dig."

Esposito nodded and Kate left the bullpen and followed her daughter into the break room. Bex was sitting on the couch with her backpack at her feet and her hair was hiding her face.

"You want something to drink?" Kate asked.

"Um, water?" Bex asked.

Kate nodded and got a water bottle out for her daughter. She sat down on the couch beside Bex and watched as her daughter took a sip.

"So, what's up?" Kate asked after a moment.

Bex took a deep breath and tucked a piece of her long chestnut hair behind her ear. "So, you remember that boy I was talking to you about a few weeks ago?" Bex asked.

"Brendan?" Kate asked. "Yeah, I remember."

Bex nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah, him. He uh- he asked me out." Bex whispered as a slight blush crept up her cheeks.

Kate smiled. "What did you say?"

"I said I had to ask you." Bex answered. "He wants to take me to dinner and a movie."

"What movie?" Kate asked.

"The new Will Smith movie." Bex answered. "And dinner at the pizza place on Broadway."

Kate nodded. "And he's in your class at school?"

Bex nodded. "All of them."

Kate smiled. "I'm assuming you want to go?"

"I do. He said he'd pick me up Saturday at 5."

"Wait, he's picking you up?" Kate asked. "How old is he?"

"15. He's not driving, his family uses a car service like we do. That's who's driving us."

"Ok. What's the name of the service?" Kate asked, instantly turning in to a cop.

Bex rolled her eyes. "It's the same one we use. Brendan even said you and Dad can pick who the driver is, since he knows how crazy you are."

Kate smiled. "It's fine with me. I know your dad will pretend to be upset, but he'll be fine with it too. But Brendan knows we'll want to meet him, right?"

Bex nodded. "He said that if you wanted him to he could come over for dinner this week, or he can get to the hose early and Dad can talk to him while I'm getting ready."

Kate nodded. "Well then, I guess everything is figured out."

Bex smiled and threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Thank you, Mom." She exclaimed.

Kate laughed. "You're welcome sweetie."

"Can you and Lex help me get ready?"

"Of course." Kate said.

"Thanks. I'll let you get back to work."

"How did you get here?"

"Subway." Bex said.

Kate nodded. "Why don't you stay here and work on homework. Then we can head home together."

Bex nodded. "Ok."

Kate nodded and stood up. "I'll check in on you in a bit, ok?"

Bex nodded and pulled out her books to get to work.

* * *

"Almost done, Bex." Alexis said as she finished the last ringlet in her sister's hair. "There." She said proudly.

"Can I look yet?" Bex asked as her impatience grew.

"Not yet. I have to finish." Alexis said.

"And then I have to do your makeup." Kate added as she looked over clothing options on the bed. "But as for clothes, you can pick what you want to wear. And I'll match your eyeshadow to it."

Bex nodded, and received a pinch on her shoulder from Alexis. "Stop moving." She said as she pinned back a couple of the curls.

"There." She proclaimed moments later. "Now go pick out your outfit."

Bex slid off the stool and walked over to her bed. She looked over the clothes her mom had set out before settling on a sun dress.

"Don't mess your hair up when you put that on!" Alexis called after her sister as she walked into the bathroom.

When Bex came back into her bedroom, she was wearing a black sundress with silver designs by the hem, which came to rest just below her knees. It was nice enough to look like she was going out, but casual enough for the pizza place they were going.

"Alright," Kate said. "Sit down and I'll do your makeup."

Bex sat down and Kate got to work. She put foundation on Bex's face, followed by a touch of silver eyeshadow that was just enough to emphasize the silver on the dress, and the silver flecks in Bex's eyes. Kate finished up with a touch of mascara and pronounced her daughter done.

"No eyeliner?" Bex asked.

Kate shook her head. "You don't need it."

Bex nodded and took the sandals her sister handed her. When she was done, she stood up so her mom and sister looked her over once more. When they gave their approval, Bex grabbed her silver purse and made sure her phone and wallet were inside. Kate and Alexis walked out in front of her, and Bex waited at the top of the stairs until she heard Kate murmur to Rick. Bex took a deep breath and walked down the stairs. When she entered the family room, she found her parents and her sisters waiting for her. She looked to the left and saw Brendan looking at her with a smile on his face.

"Hi." She said shyly.

"Hi." He said back with a smile. "You look nice."

Bex laughed. "Thanks. You clean up well."

Brendan smiled, and Kate heard a throat being cleared behind her. She rolled her eyes and turned around, expecting to see her father, but instead she saw Esposito and Ryan standing side by side, glaring at Brendan.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked the detectives, forcing their attention to turn to her.

"We heard about your plans for tonight, and we decided that we needed to have a word with the boy." Esposito said.

Bex rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned back to Brendan. "Are you ready to leave?"

He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way out. Bex stopped to kiss her parents and hug her sisters. "Give Jack a kiss for me if he wakes up tonight." She murmured to her mom before she stepped out of the house. Her father followed behind her and Brendan, and she watched as he shook the boy's hand before Brendan led her to the car. He helped her into the car and climbed in behind her.

As they drove away, Bex looked out the window and sighed when she saw her father and the two detectives standing outside the house watching the car. Some things were going to get annoying.

* * *

**There you go. I hope you guys liked this. **

**Please let me know if you have ideas for this story, and I'll try to get it written as soon as possible.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	14. Perfect

**So I realized one night that for this to even kind of match the show, Alexis would be about 20 years older than Bex, which means that in this story, she'd be 34-ish. So I decided that she needs to be married with a kid. Sorry if that annoys you guys, but everything I write with Alexis in it seems awkward unless I imagine her with a family of her own. So eventually, I'll write her wedding and having her kid and put them in this story. Which means that yes, technically Alexis' daughter is older than her uncle. Whatever.**

* * *

"Come on, Kate. One more push, and you're done." Rick said as he brushed his wife's sweaty away from her eyes.

"You've been saying that for the last 10 minutes." Kate groaned, but she gave one last push, and moments later, a cry sounded through the room.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Castle. Your son has a healthy set of lungs on him." The doctor said with a smile.

Kate sighed and relaxed into the bed while Rick cut the cord and the nurse took the baby away to clean and weigh him.

"Rick?" Kate murmured.

"Yeah?" Her husband asked as he stroked her hand.

"Can we please be done having kids? I'm too old to deal with this again."

Rick chuckled. "Of course, Kate."

The nurse returned with a bundle in a blue blanket, and Kate held her arms out for the baby.

"Is he ok?" She asked as the nurse settled him in her arms.

"He's a little small, but everything is working how it should be." The nurse said with a smile.

Kate nodded her thanks and used her index finger to brush along her baby's cheek.

"Rick, he's gorgeous."

"He really is. And he's healthy, but we knew he would be."

"I know. But part of me was still unconvinced until now."

They sat in silence for a moment and marveled at the baby they had made, so thankful that despite the fact that this was a high risk pregnancy, possibly even more high risk than Kate's pregnancy with Anna and Maggie, their son was completely healthy.

"We should name him." Rick finally said.

"Yeah. Got any ideas?"

"Jack?"

"Jackson." Kate said.

"Fine. What about a middle name?"

"Oliver?" Kate asked, finally managing to tear her eyes away from her son.

"Jackson Oliver Castle." Rick said contemplatively. "I like it." He decided.

Kate smiled and kissed his lips softly. She turned back to her son and kissed his forehead. "I love you so much, Jack. Daddy and I love you so very much." She murmured.

The door opened, and Bex popped her head in. "Can we come in? It's just Anna, Maggie, and I. Lex is on her way with Brian and Lindsey, but it'll be a few minutes."

Kate smiled at her daughter and nodded. "Of course, girls. Come meet your brother."

Bex smiled and opened the door further to be able to walk into the room, followed closely by her sisters. The three girls came to bed and crowded around their parents. Rick lifted Maggie and settled her on his lap so she could see better.

"He's adorable." Bex murmured as she softly touched his hair.

"What's his name, Momma?" Anna asked as she sat on the bed by Kate's knees.

"Jackson Oliver Castle." Kate said with a smile.

"I like it." Maggie announced. "It's a good name."

Rick laughed and kissed Maggie's head. "Good."

There was a knock and a moment later, Alexis slipped into the room with her daughter on her hip and closed the door.

"Gram and Grandpa Jim are in the lobby, and so are Lanie and the boys, and Jenny too. They said to take your time with your kids, and they'll come in later."

Kate smiled at Alexis, still loving that she'd started calling Jim her grandpa. "Thanks, Lex. Want to come meet your brother?"

Alexis smiled. "You had a boy? Hear that, Linds? You have a new uncle."

"I did. Come say hello."

"His name is Jackson." Maggie said helpfully. "But you can call him Jack."

Alexis smiled at the nine-year-old and tugged one of Anna's curls as she walked by. When Kate held Jack out to her, Alexis set Lindsey on the bed with Anna and took Jack into her arms.

"He's tiny, Mommy." Lindsey said as she peeked at the baby.

"He is, Linds. You were this tiny once." She asked as she smiled down at her brother. " Is he ok?" She asked, turning to her dad.

"He's completely healthy." Rick answered.

Alexis nodded and pressed a kiss to his forehead and passed him to Bex.

The four girls each took their turn holding their little brother, and Alexis pulled Lindsey into her lap and helped the four-year-old hold the baby, until he started to get fussy. The girls left so Kate could feed him, but they promised to have the rest of their friends and family come in after an hour or so.

On her way out of the room, Bex leaned over and kissed her mother's cheek.

"He's perfect." Bex whispered before she turned and walked away. Kate smiled at her oldest daughter, and when she turned back to her son, she couldn't deny that Bex was right.

* * *

**And now we've met their little surprise. I'm working on another idea, and it'll hopefully be up soon. **

**If you have any ideas for this story, please let me know. **

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	15. Granddaughter

**So here is Alexis having her baby, I hope you guys don't mind this little plot twist I threw at you.**

* * *

As Alexis smiled down at the bundle with bright red fuzz, she felt tears welling in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Lex?" Her husband asked.

"Absolutely nothing, Brian." She murmured. "She's gorgeous."

"She is. You still like the name we picked, right?" He asked.

"Of course. Lindsey Michelle Thomas. It's perfect for her."

Brian nodded and kissed her head. "Do you want me to get your family?"

"Is yours not here yet?" She asked as she finally looked away from her baby.

"Not until tomorrow. It was kind of sudden." He reminded her with a smile.

"I know. Actually, can you just get my dad?"

"Of course." Brian said as he smiled and kissed Alexis' cheek. Alexis was alone with the baby for a moment, until she heard a soft knock and saw her dad step in.

"Hey, pumpkin." He murmured as he walked to her side, and Alexis smiled at her husband as he left the room so they could be alone.

She turned to her father and smiled up at him. "Hi, Dad." She whispered. "You want to meet your granddaughter?"

"Is that a real question?" Rick asked as he held his arms out.

Alexis laughed softly and shifted the baby to his arms. "Meet Lindsey Michelle Thomas."

"She's gorgeous." Rick murmured as he lifted his finger to trace the back of it over the baby's soft and chubby cheek.

They were silent for a moment, until Alexis decided she couldn't put off her question any longer, even if she already knew the answer.

"Is uh," She sighed. "Is Mom here yet?"

Rick looked up at her, and it still bothered him that her expression said she already knew the answer.

He sighed. "I called her right after I hung up with Brian." He said, trying to avoid giving her an answer.

But Alexis was too smart for that. "Dad."

He sighed again. "She managed to answer, but she said that she was leaving for Paris for a few months. She did offer to come visit when she was done though." He added.

Alexis let out a huff of laughter. "Like she's actually going to remember."

"Alexis." Rick warned. "I know she's hurt you a lot lately. And I know that she wasn't there when you were growing up, but-"

Alexis interrupted him. "I know, Dad. I know she does the best she can. Sometimes I just wish it was more." She paused for a moment and watched her Dad with her daughter. "Although I suppose that's what I have Kate for."

Rick smiled at her and handed the baby back. "Speaking of her, she wanted to talk to you. Do you want me to go get her?"

Alexis nodded and watched as her dad walked out. A minute later, the door opened and Kate walked in.

"Hey, Lex." She said. "How are you doing?"

Alexis shrugged. "Physically I'm fine."

Kate nodded knowingly. "I take it your dad told you about your mom's plans?"

Alexis nodded. "I honestly don't know why I expected anything different. I'm used to her being busy."

Kate smiled and tucked a piece of Alexis' hair behind her ear. "I know. And I'm sorry that you had to get used to it."

Alexis smiled. "Don't be. There's nothing you could have done to change it."

Kate nodded and after a moment of silence, Alexis passed her daughter over. "Sorry. I guess you want to meet your granddaughter."

"She's beautiful. Just like her Momma."

Alexis smiled at the compliment. They sat and talked for a moment more, before Alexis decided she was ready to see her sisters. Kate stood up to get them, and as she reached the door, Alexis called out to her.

"Kate?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

Alexis sighed softly. "Thank you. For being the mother I always needed, even if I was maybe too old by the time we met."

Kate smiled. "Don't worry about it, Lex. You've always been a great kid. And she'll be just like you."

Alexis smiled and watched as the woman she'd long ago began considering her mother left to get the rest of her family. And Alexis realized that she didn't really need her biological mother present for this day to be important. She had everyone she'd ever need waiting to see her.

* * *

**I'd like to make it clear that I don't particularly hate Meredith. I truly believe that she does the best she can to be a mother to Alexis, but I don't believe that it's always enough for Alexis. Hence Alexis deciding that Kate was a more fitting mother for her. Just wanted to clarify.**

**Please let me know if you have prompts for me to do for this story, and I'll see what I can do.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	16. Wedding

**And here we have Alexis' wedding! Hope you like it.**

* * *

As Alexis stood waiting at the top of the stairs, she couldn't help but wish that one person in particular had shown up. Was it really too much to ask for your own mother to be at your wedding.

"I'm sorry, Pumpkin." Rick murmured from his place beside her. "I know you wanted her to come."

"I thought it would be different. We let her know a year in advance when the wedding was. Brian told his parents that we needed two years before the wedding just so we could make sure everything would work out so it would be today, even though his parents wanted a shorter engagement."

Rick smiled sadly. "I know. I wish I could fix it for you."

Alexis smiled back. "I know you would if you could, and that's enough for me."

Rick smiled at his oldest daughter and gave her hand a squeeze. Before he could say anything though, the music started and Alexis watched as her sisters and friends entered the garden before her.

"You ready?" Rick asked.

"As I'll ever be." She replied with a smile and let him lead her down the isle.

The ceremony went smoothly, and after a few minutes, Alexis was able to ignore the empty chair where her mother should have been. The ceremony flowed right into the reception, and Alexis was able to forget the person missing as she lost herself in the joy of the day. She danced with her husband and her father, and she even pulled Bex onto the dance floor to dance with her. Overall, it was a good party.

Which meant something had to go wrong.

As she finished shoving cake into Brian's face, she saw her father subtly leaving the reception area, and after a quick glance to Brian, she snuck away to follow him.

"What are you doing, Meredith?" She heard her father ask.

"Our daughter's getting married, Rick. I came to see her."

Rick laughed sourly. "You're a little late."

"It seems like the party's still going on. Although, if you wanted, we could leave and have our own party. You always said I was the best you ever had."

Alexis was disgusted. Rick and Kate had been married for 11 years, and they had three kids. She knew her mom was slightly messed up, but she couldn't believe she'd ask her ex-husband to cheat on his wife with her.

"No, Meredith. You know I'm married to Kate, and the fact that you'd suggest something like that boggles me. Now please, just leave."

"No, Rick. I want to see my daughter. You always put up a fight when I want to see her, and I'm sick of it!"

"That's because you only want to see her when it's convenient for you! She gave you notice of this a _year_ in advance. She gave you plenty of notice and you said you'd be here. So when her sister came in and said you weren't here, right before she had to walk out and get married with a smile on her face, it crushed her."

"You mean you had kids with that woman?" Meredith asked, ignoring the more important pieces of Rick's story.

"That woman is my wife, and I love her. But that's not the point. The point is that you got her hopes up again, and let her down. Just like you've been doing her whole life."

"Oh, please, Richard. Don't sound so dramatic. Alexis is fine."

"You don't know that. You really don't know your daughter very well, Meredith."

"Oh, and I suppose that muse of yours does? Alexis isn't her daughter, Rick!"

Rick was about to reply, but Alexis had heard enough. "Dad, it's fine." She said as she stepped out so they could see her.

"Alexis-"

"Really. Go back inside, ok? I want a word with her."

Rick looked at her for a moment, but he nodded and walked back to the party.

When they were alone, Meredith gave her daughter a smile. "You look pretty, Alexis."

"Thank you." Alexis said. "But you need to leave."

"What? You don't mean that."

"I do. It would have been fine if you'd come earlier, like every other person did. But you came when you could be bothered, and that's not how it's supposed to work."

"I was busy." Meredith said, as if that made it ok.

"You're always busy. But that's not important. Kevin, Javi, and Kate got a call about a body a few days ago, but they decided to use their sick days to not have to work this case, just so they could be here."

"I still can't believe your father let you near police officers. You could be hurt because of them."

"That's not the point. The point is, they were busy too, but they'd promised to be here, and they were."

"Alexis really-"

"No, you listen to me. My entire life has been a lot of me hoping that you'd remember when you'd said you come visit, and trying not to be upset when you didn't show. A birthday card and a christmas sweater every year aren't enough, Mom. I've tried making excuses for you my whole life, but then I met Kate, and Kevin and Javi, and suddenly the excuses weren't enough. I'm 30, Mom, and you hardly know anything about me. But everyone in there, they know me. And they know how hard I try not to hope that something will finally change with you. I honestly thought you'd be here today. I thought me getting married was enough for you to remember that you'd promised to come visit. But I guess it's not."

"Alexis-"

"Just leave, Mom." Alexis said softly as she turned back to the party.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to my family." Alexis said over her shoulder without looking at Meredith.

"That woman is _not_ your family."

Alexis whirled around so quickly, Meredith nearly missed it. "That woman has a name. _Kate_ has been more of a family to me than you ever were. The last thing you did for me was give birth to me. Everything else was for _you_. _Kate_ has been more of a mother to me in the last half of my life than you were in the first half. _Kate _has never broken a promise to me. So before you go getting all possessive of a man you _cheated_ on and walked away from, think about everything you've done for me. Then think about how it compares to everything Kate's done for me." Alexis hissed before she turned around and left her mother standing there.

Brian was waiting for her just outside the reception, and he pulled Alexis into his arms. "I'm sorry, Lex."

"It's ok, Brian. Really, it is. I finally said things that I've been needing to say to her for years. Let's just get back to the party before someone comes looking for us."

Brian used his thumb to wipe away the single tear that had fallen, and he nodded. "Alright."

They walked hand in hand back to the reception, and when Alexis walked in, she caught her father's eye. She gave him a nod, which he returned before he turned to Kate and held his hand out for a dance. Brian followed suit and pulled Alexis onto the dance floor and into his arms.

"I love you, you know that right?" He murmured.

"I know. I love you too." She replied softly. As they danced, Alexis looked around her. Bex was dancing with Lizzie, Anna, and Maggie. Ryan had his arms around Jenny, and Lanie and Espo were laughing like children. Her father was holding Kate tightly and had his lips passed firmly to her temple. Alexis rested her head on Brian's shoulder and sighed in contentment. She had everything and everyone she'd ever need within feet of her. And that was enough.

* * *

**And, boom! Alexis is married. I wasn't planning for the bit with Meredith to turn out quite like that, but Alexis really wanted to put her mother in her place, so I let her.**

**If you have ideas for this story, let me know!**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	17. Nicknames-Jackson

**I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated! I started a bunch of stuff for my first year of college this week, and I just didn't have a ton of time. This week is going to be pretty insane, and so is next week, but I'll update when I get opportunities, I promise. **

* * *

Jackson- It had been his mother's idea, really. His dad was perfectly happy with Jack. But it made sense that the old-fashioned name would appeal to his grandmother.

"Jackson!" Martha called.

"What, Gram?" The 10-year-old replied as he walked into the office in her acting studio.

"Your mother just called. She wanted to know if you were still going to that boy's birthday party this weekend."

Jack gave his grandmother a look, but he answered her anyway. "No. He's rude and greedy, and I don't want to deal with him."

Martha looked at him for a moment before she nodded and shooed him away, back to the room he'd come from. "I'll call her back and let her know!" Martha called after him.

Jackson shook his head and tried not to think about why his grandmother cared about something like this.

* * *

Jackie- It was his nickname as a baby, and though he's loathe to admit it, he still likes when Bex uses it.

"Jackie, what are you doing?" Bex asked as she walked into the game room.

"Killing zombies." He answered without looking at her.

Bex laughed as she sat down beside him. "Got time for a break?" She asked.

Jack sighed and paused the game before he turned to look at her. "What's up?" He asked.

Bex smiled and reached out to brush the hair off his forehead. "I wanted to see if you'd go to lunch with me." She said.

Jack looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "No."

Bex just looked at him for a moment. "Why not?" She asked. "I'm leaving in the morning."

"That's why." the 13-year-old answered. "I don't want you to go."

Bex smiled and reached out to hug her brother. "I'm just leaving for a couple months. And I'll be skyping you guys once a week."

Jack shook his head as he leaned into her embrace. "It's not the same. I want you here."

"I know. And I want to be here, but I have to do this, Jackie."

"Why?" He whined.

Bex laughed. "Because, I need to get out and explore the world on my own. I need to see what's out there before Brendan and I settle down."

"You're not even engaged yet." Jack pointed out.

"No. But I know he has the ring. He showed it to me, told me he was going to do it, but he wanted me to travel one last time first."

Jack huffed a laugh. "That's ridiculous."

Bex smiled. "He's a ridiculous guy. But I love him, and I want to marry him. So I need to leave soon."

Jack was silent for a moment before he finally sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'll go to lunch with you."

Bex smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Jackie."

* * *

Jack- It's always been what people call him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Jack, come on. You're gonna be late for your game!" Kate called up the stairs.

Jack came running down the stairs a moment later in his baseball uniform with his bag over his shoulder. "Sorry!" He said as he jumped over the last step and ran out of the house to where his dad was waiting in the car.

"You ready, Jack?" Rick asked as he started the car while Kate got in the passenger seat.

"Yep." Jack replied as he clicked his seatbelt. "They're so going down!"

Kate laughed and turned to smile at her son. "Whatever you say, Jack." She said as they pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

**There you go! I hope this makes up for the break, and I'll try to get the prompts you guys have given me done and published. **

**If you have any ideas you want me to write for this story, please let me know and I'll get it done as soon as I can.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	18. Dream

**Alright, saved240307, here's your story. I'm so sorry it took me this long. I've had it all planned in my head, but I just never got around to writing it down. But I hope it's everything you're looking for.**

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As Rick stood at the grill, he looked out over his property and smiled. Bex and Lizzie were sitting on the porch swing pouring over a magazine, Anna and Maggie were laying under a tree reading, Jim and Martha were sitting with Lindsey while Brian and Alexis walked along the beach, and Kevin and Jenny and Lanie and Javier were standing together, laughing about something Rick couldn't hear. Rick was just putting the burgers onto the grill when he heard the for behind him open, and a second later, Kate was by his side with a very sleepy Jack in her arms.

"Hey." She murmured as she kissed his cheek. "Food almost ready?"

"Yeah. Well, kind of."

Kate laughed and kissed Rick again. Jack started squirming in her arms and reached out to his father, and Rick easily pulled his son into his arms. Once he was settle, Jack rested his head on Rick's shoulder and closed his eyes again, and before long, his breathing had evened out. When it was time to flip the burgers, Rick was about to hand his son back to Kate, as much as he didn't want to, he wanted to burn the food less, but Jim was suddenly at his side holding is hand out for the spatula. Rick gratefully handed it over and walked away with his son while Kate stayed to talk with her father.

Rick carried Jack down to the beach, and he was suddenly hit in the legs and nearly went toppling to the ground. When he looked down, he saw Lindsey looking up at him with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Poppa." She said as she hugged him.

"Hi, Linds. You need to be careful where you're running ok?"

Lindsey was confused for a moment, until she saw her uncle in Rick's arms. "Sorry. I didn't see him."

Rick smiled down at his granddaughter. "It's ok. Just be careful next time, ok?"

Lindsey nodded. "Why's he sleepin'?"

"He just woke up from his nap." Rick explained.

"So isn't not s'posed to be tired anymore?"

"I guess. But he was sick not too long ago, so his sleeping schedule is still a little off."

Lindsey considered that for a moment. "Ok. Can I play with him?"

Rick laughed, but he nodded and stooped to set his son on the sand. "But be careful."

"I will." Lindsey promised as she sat facing her uncle.

Rick watched them for a moment before he turned and walked the short distance to a boulder and sat down where he'd be able to keep an eye on them. Jack seemed to be more awake, but Rick was still vigilant. Lindsey had managed to obtain a pail and shovel and was trying to teach Jack how to build a sandcastle, while still making sure he didn't eat the sand.

Rick was so lost in watching his son and granddaughter that he didn't notice anyone had approached them until Kate was sitting beside Rick.

"Jesus, you scared me." Rick murmured.

Kate laughed and leaned into his side. "Sorry." She whispered as she kissed his cheek. "Whatcha thinking about?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Rick shrugged. "Lots of things." He said. "I never expected any of this, not really."

Kate turned to look at him. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Rick was about to answer, but he caught sight of someone coming toward them, and a moment later, Bex was standing in front of her parents. "Grandpa says the food's ready. You coming?"

Rick shook his head. "No. We'll eat later. But take your niece and brother, will you?"

Bex nodded and walked over to where Lindsey and Jack were. She scooped her brother into her arms and held her hand out for her niece. Rick and Kate watched them leave, and when he was sure they wouldn't be overheard, he continued his story.

"I never expected my life to turn out like this." He said. "When I was growing up, I always thought I'd have something like this, but a lot of stuff happened that made me think it wouldn't ever pan out."

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked, so unused to hearing her husband talk like this.

Rick sighed. "I always wanted a big family, and I always wanted a vacation house." Rick paused as he considered his words, when he finally figured them out, he turned to Kate and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Can I tell you a story?" He asked.

"Of course. I love your stories." Kate said with a smile.

Rick nodded and took her hand in his. "Bear with me, ok?" When Kate nodded, Rick took a breath and began. "I always wanted this, but after Kyra left me, I was convinced it would never happen. Then I met Meredith, and Alexis happened, and for just a moment, I hoped that I'd get this. That I'd finally get what I was after. But then I came home and found her in bed with her director, and I realized it was never going to work. After that, I let the idea fade. I still wanted it, but I had Alexis, and that was enough. It still would be, if everything hadn't worked out between us. I focused on her needs more than my own desires, and for a while I was happy again. I thought I might get this, or at least a version of it. And then Gina happened. I never really thought we'd have kids together, she was too focused on work for that to every really be on the table. But still, in the back of my mind, I hoped. And that marriage went to pieces, and I was crushed again. After that, I swore off the whole ideal. I still had Alexis, I was successful, I figured I was fine. So my dream was put on the back burner again. I spent the next few years with many women, but I always knew nothing would come of it. I had decided that getting burned that many times was enough, that it wasn't worth the risk anymore. I convinced myself that I was perfectly happy. I'd had plenty of other dreams come true, so what did it matter that one little dream didn't? I was so adamant about not falling in love again, and it worked for years. But then..."

Rick trailed off as he shook his head. Kate had scooted closer to him and she gently rested her hand on his cheek. "But then what, Rick?" She asked softly.

Rick smiled and pulled her palm to his lips so he could kiss it. When he pulled her hand away and took it in both of his to rest in his lap, there was a smile on his face. "But then you walked into my release party and into my life. I'll admit, at the beginning, I just wanted to sleep with you. But after you told me about your mother, I realized there was so much more to you, so many layers to your onion-as dirty as that may sound- and while I still wanted to sleep with you, I also wanted to get to know you. But I didn't know how without being kicked out of the precinct. By that point of course, I'd learned to keep my dream out of anything relating to women, so the bought didn't even cross my mind. At least, not until I kicked Gina out of this house that summer. She was only here for two days before I realized that only one woman really belonged here. But still, I'd asked you to come and you said no, so I didn't know what to do. So I went back to the precinct and decided that I'd never speak about it. I'd never tell you about my feelings, because that way you couldn't hurt me, and I could at least pretend my dream had a shot. So I kept quiet, or as quiet as I ever could. I tried not to let my feelings for you become obvious, but I really don't think I did a very good job of it."

"You really didn't." Kate cut in with a smile. "But that's ok."

Rick smiled. "And then you got shot. And as you were lying there, I realized that I might never get another chance to tell you how I felt. And I knew you were dating Josh, and I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help it. So I told you I loved you, and I meant every word of it, I really did. As I was waiting to hear if you were still alive, all I could hear in my head was me confessing my feelings, and you not saying anything, and I was so worried I was too late. But then they said you were fine, and I thought, as stupid as it was, that you'd break up with Josh and wed have a real shot. BUt you told me you didn't remember anything, and all my hope was gone in one breath. I was so hurt when you asked for time, but by that point, I'd do anything for you, so I let you have what you needed. I wanted to believe that you'd call, but a part of me was sure you wouldn't. That was one of the worst summers of my life. I spent nearly every day, and every free moment, convincing myself that if I never heard form you, if that was my last Nikki Heat book, it would be ok. But I couldn't really convince myself. And then you found me at that book signing, and I wanted to be so happy to see you, but then everything from the hospital came rushing back, and I was so angry. I was angry at you for needing time, and angry at myself for holding it against you. I was glad to hear that you'd broken up with Josh, but crushed when it seemed to have happened almost right after you got out of the hospital. I always figured you'd break up with him and come to me right away, as stupid as that sounds. And the fact that you didn't crushed me. But then we were on the swings, and you told me your way was coming down, and that you wanted me to be there when it did, and I was excited again. I thought we'd finally have our shot. I spent that year so desperate for you to remember what I'd said to you, but I was determined not to push it. And then the bomb happened."

Rick paused and shook his head, and Kate blushed as she ducked her head. She knew where this was going, and her own stupidity annoyed her sometimes.

"I was watching you interrogate him. I heard when you told him you remembered everything about getting shot, and my world went crashing to the ground. That whole year, I'd spent hoping that I'd finally get this, that I'd get you. But to hear you say that tore me down. I wanted to confront you, but I couldn't. I didn't think it was my place. So I let us spiral out of control slightly, and I hoped you'd realize what I meant to you and you'd fix it. And you did, to an extent. But I was never really able to stay mad at you, so I came back. But then your mother's case was brought up again, and our fight happened. I hadn't meant to accuse you, but it just happened, and after it did, I was relieved. But as I walked out of your apartment that day, I swore I was done. I was done trying to make you love me back. So when you showed up at my door and told me that you just wanted me, I was skeptical, but I was willing to see what happened. And that first year was great. We could barely keep our hands off each other, I mean, we still have issues with that from time to time. But then your D.C. opportunity came up, and I was hurt again. Not because you were considering it, but because you'd hidden it from me. I knew what you were talking about, when you asked where we were going, but I was doing my best to go at a pace I thought you wanted. I was ready to propose when I woke up and saw you walk into my bedroom with coffee while wearing my shirt that first morning. But I didn't want to make you feel like I was pressuring you, so I tried to let you dictate how fast we moved. But when you kept that from me, I thought for sure we were done. I was ready to feel my dream die for good, but for some reason it didn't. I already had the ring by then, as you now know. So when you wanted to talk to me, I figured that even if you said no, or wanted to wait, I had to try. So I did. And I can't even tell you how happy your answer made me. I didn't care that you wanted to wait, because to me, it wasn't a no. I could have handled a yes or a not yet, but I wouldn't have been able to handle a no. And I still thought you were going to run off to D.C. to peruse a new career, but instead you stayed. You stayed, and you made us work on our relationship and our communication, and that's what we needed more than anything. And every time we overcame an obstacle, my dream got a little brighter, a little more defined. Until the day I saw you walk into the kitchen with the ring on your finger instead of around your neck. And since then, my dream continued to grow and grow, until it finally turned into this. I didn't realize until I was watching you walk down the aisle that it was finally going to work out. And when you had Bex, and then Maggie and Anna, and when Jackie surprised us, I knew my dream was happening."

Rick took a deep breath. "If we weren't already married, this is where I'd pull out a gorgeous ring and ask you to marry me. But since we're already married, I'll ask this instead: Keep me? When I get older and lose my good looks? When I annoy you more often than I make you smile? When all of our kids move out and are spread across the country? Just keep me, Kate?"

Kate smiled at him and felt a tear slip from her eyes. She nodded and leaned in to press her lips against his. "Always." She whispered.

They sat on the rock for a while longer, until Kate's stomach couldn't be ignored any longer. She stood and he followed her back to the house where their family was waiting. Kate had wiped her eyes and controlled her emotions so no one would ask what had happened, and she jumped right back into the party. Rick watched for a moment as she walked up behind Jack and lifted him into the air and tossed him up and down in the air so that he squealed happily. Lizzie and Bex were playing with Lindsey, Anna, and Maggie, and all the adults were talking.

Rick had always wanted to be a part of a family, something bigger than just him and his mother- and Alexis, after she'd come along. And as he looked at the assembled group- teenagers, pre-teens, and a rambunctious toddler. Along with cops and an M.E., and a very dramatic woman, Rick realized that this was what he'd always wanted, what he needed to feel complete.

This oddly matched group of people was better than any book or movie he'd been a part of. This was his greatest achievement.

* * *

**BAM! There you have it. I hope this measured up to your expectations. **

**I've decided that I'm going to keep this as the last chapter for this story. That does NOT mean I'm done. I just think this is a great way for this to end, so every new chapter I post will be placed before this. Which means:**

**If you have any ideas for this story, please let me know and I'll get it done as soon as I can.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	19. Sisters

**Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! For those of you who missed it, I started a new Castle story, and I got super distracted.**

* * *

Alexis was just turning off the light in the living room before heading to bed when there was a knock on the door. After a moment of indecision, she sighed and made her way to the door. When she looked through the peep hole and saw Bex standing there, she hurried to open the door.

"Bex?"

"Hi. Sorry, I know it's late, but I could really use someone to talk to."

Alexis nodded and opened the door. "Of course, come in."

Bex smiled at her and walked into the house. Alexis gestured for her to sit on the couch while she went to the kitchen and got her sister a glass of water. When she returned, she set the glass on the coffee table before sitting down beside Bex.

"What's up?"

Bex sighed. "I just- How do you-" Bex sighed again and shook her head.

"Bex, are you in trouble?" Alexis asked softly.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry, I should just go back home." Bex stood up, but before she could go more than a step away, Alexis reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Not so fast. What's bugging you, squirt?"

Bex looked her sister over for a moment before she sat down again. "Can I talk to you about something, and have you promise not to tell Mom or Dad?"

Alexis looked at her sister skeptically. "You can tell me anything, Bex. BUt if you're in danger or something, I need to tell them."

Bex shook her head. "It's nothing like that. It's not bad, I don't think. I just- I can't talk to Dad about it because he'd freak out. And I guess I could talk to Mom, but that's a little awkward..."

Alexis smiled. "Then shoot. What's on that pretty little mind of yours?"

Bex sighed and took a moment to gather her thoughts. "How do you know?"

"Well, I know all kinds of things. But what exactly are we talking about?"

"How do you know when you're ready to..." Bex trailed off and smiled shyly.

Alexis smiled back. "Have you been thinking about a future with Brandon?"

"Kind of? Not like that I want to have kids with him or anything, at least not yet. I mean, I'm only 19. But I've been thinking that I might be ready to take the next step."

"He's not pressuring you, is he?" Alexis asked, suddenly serious.

"No." Bex hurried to assure her. "He's only said that he's willing to wait until I'm ready."

"Good."

"But that's the thing. I think I'm ready, but I don't know for sure."

Alexis smiled. "To be completely honest, I wasn't completely sure I was ready to do it either. Not until it was almost too late to turn back. But then it hit me, that I wanted to be with Brian forever, that whatever happened was ok with me."

"So you're saying I need to wait until I get there?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. I'm saying that you can tell Brandon you want to try, but if you guys start and it doesn't feel right, it's ok to back down."

"Is this where you tell me that if he really loves me, he'll be ok with me backing out?"

Alexis laughed. "Kind of. He might be a little upset, but yes, if he loves you, he'll get over it."

Bex nodded. "Did you ever do it while you were living with Dad?"

Alexis laughed. "You've met him, right? No, I never did, and I would have grounded myself for the rest of my life if I had."

"So then how are we supposed to-"

Alexis laughed. "If you really want to, believe me, you'll find a place to do it."

Bex smiled and blushed as she looked down at her hands.

"Just promise me one thing?" Alexis asked, suddenly serious.

"What?"

"Promise me that you'll be safe about it? And I don't just mean protection. I mean, don't be so desperate to do it that you go somewhere like the middle of the woods or something."

Bex nodded. "Of course. About protection..."

Alexis laughed and stood up. "Wait one second, ok?"

When Bex nodded, Alexis turned and walked in the direction of her bedroom. When she reemerged, she was holding a box, which she promptly passed to Bex. "This should keep you covered for a while."

Bex looked up at her sister. "Why do you have so many? I mean, I figured you and Brian..." Bex trailed off with a shudder.

Alexis laughed again. "I bought them for you about a week ago. I just figured that no one would freak out if Richard Castle's oldest daughter- who's married by the way- bought condoms. They might if his 19-year-old daughter did."

Bex nodded. "So you figured I'd be coming to talk to you?"

Alexis nodded. "Kate called and said you'd been acting kind of funky. You're not fooling her, by the way. She totally knows why you're here."

"I wasn't trying to fool her. I just didn't want to think about her and Dad like that."

Alexis smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

Bex smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Lex."

Alexis nodded and gave her sister a hug. "You need a ride home?"

Bex shook her head. "Mom drove me over here. I told her I wanted to talk to you, and she didn't want me driving so late on a Friday night."

Alexis nodded and walked her sister to the door. "Ok. I'll see you later, squirt."

Bex smiled and hugged her sister once more before she opened the door and stepped out. Alexis watched to make sure that Bex got in the car safely before she closed the door and turned off the lights.

When she got into bed, Brian rolled over and wrapped his arms around her. "Everything ok with the squirt?"

Alexis nodded. "Everything's great with her. And judging by how much she was blushing during our conversation, things are about to get a whole lot better for her."

* * *

**So, yeah. That happened. But that's what happens when kids get older, so... yeah. Anyway, hope you guys liked it.**

**I'm running a little low on ideas for this story, so if you have any, please let me know. I don't want to end this story here, but I'm in desperate need of more ideas, and I can't seem to come up with any. So please, let me know any ideas that you have.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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